9:41 PM,
May 18, 2013

A tractor with cultivator sits idle after corn planting was delayed by wet weather in Springfield, Ill.

Written by

Christopher Doering
| Gannett Washington Bureau

When Varel Bailey and his fellow shareholders meet this month, the seven-member family board that includes his three children will focus its attention on one issue: who should benefit from the financial success of the farm.

Bailey's parents began giving shares annually in the Anita, Iowa, farm in 1966 and continued during the next 40 years. While Bailey stayed on the farm and helped increase its value, his sisters left, and now at least one of them wants to receive full value for her shares.

But Bailey believes she didn't contribute to their appreciation and is entitled to one-third of the ...